Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

Oyo State government on Thursday, said civil servants in the state will receive their housing loans in seven days, saying it is also partnering the Federal Government to provide low cost housing schemes of 720 units for the people of the state to complement the recently created GRAs.  
 
The State Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Survey, Mr. Ajiboye Omodewu, who made the disclosure while addressing journalists alongside his counterpart from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, also stated that the state government will not tolerate activities of land grabbers (Omo Onile) in the state.

He urged the citizens to take advantage of the recently introduced electronic C of O to protect their landed property from the menace of land grabbing.
 
Omodewu similarly enjoined the general public to beware of touts who parade themselves as staff of the Ministry of Land and volunteered to process the C of O for them, stating that C of O processing is now free from unnecessary bureaucracy with the introduction of the electronic C of O.
 
He explained that the OYSG/FG partnership will ensure the provision of housing units along Oyo/Ibadan expressway, assuring that the low cost housing will be for the benefit of all.
 
He pointed out that the process for securing housing loans which was increased by Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration by 100 per cent has been reduced to one week if the interested beneficiaries fulfill all the requirements of the state government.

He said: “Governor Ajimobi has directed that approval for the housing loan should be given within a week if the interested person fulfills all the requirements. Our government prioritizes home ownership for the people, hence the need to make the process less cumbersome.
 
“We have recently introduced the Home Owners’ Charter policy. The policy allows landlords without proper documentations to procure one with the sum of N120,000.  This scheme is created to enable home owners in Oyo State who currently have no title documents like Survey and Building plans to obtain titles with great ease and at the very affordable rate of N120,000.00. The scheme has commenced and interested individuals can approach Ministry of Lands, Survey and Housing to start the process which is just for 60 days”.
 
The commissioner hinted that the state government has engaged private developers to put up housing units for different categories of people in different areas of the State, noting that people should expect an influx of businesses and new residents in Ibadan when the Lagos-Ibadan expressway is completed.
 
"Oyo State government has engaged private developers for different categories of citizens at Agodi GRA, Elenusonso GRA in Ido Local Government, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Kolapo Isola GRA at Lagelu LG, among others”, he stressed.

Omodewu appealed to the general public to co-operate with Nigerian Institution of Surveyors and Estate Valuers (NIESV) for the enumeration, evaluation and categorization of properties in the state, noting that the essence of the enumeration is to generate data that will aid the sustainable developmental objectives in the state.

He also advised members of the public not to give money to any staff of the ministry or those who disguise as agents, claiming to assist them, adding “you will pay directly into the government account, not to individuals. If you give money to any staff, you do so at your own risk.”